It is currently possible to book flights to different destinations as soon as next week - including to countries with extensive spread of Covid-19, such as Russia and France.
Didzis Rudmanis explained that all scheduled flights will only take place if restrictions are lifted and the passenger demand is sufficient.
"Once the restrictions are lifted, airBaltic flights will gradually be resumed. Initially, five airBaltic planes will operate flights to ten passenger-requested destinations where travel is permitted. More planes will be added over the coming weeks, and schedules will be restored. In May, flights are to be resumed to Amsterdam, Oslo, London, Frankfurt, and other destinations. At the moment, ticket sales figures are very low, with only a slight increase over the last week. But we expect a rapid change when airBaltic relaunches flights," Rudmanis said.
The airline currently has more than 500 000 bookings for flights in the summer and autumn. Passengers on airplanes will be provided with disinfectant wipes and face protection masks, and the safety of employees will also be ensured.
The government will decide on lifting transport restrictions on Thursday, May 7.
CONTEXT:
A state of emergency has been announced in Latvia to limit the spread of Covid-19 from March 13 to May 12. International passenger transport has been suspended. International passenger flights only take place with a special permission from the Ministry of Transport. The national airline airBaltic is preparing to resume scheduled flights starting May 13. The Minister of Transport has stated that passenger transport by air and sea could be resumed by May 13, transport by land - as of May 18.
